Gambrel.



E. LACE.

GAMBREL.

APPLIOATION FILED APBJS, 1911.

1 1 006 955 Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

EDWARD LACE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAMER-EL.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 24, 1911.

Application filed April 6, 1911. Serial No. 619,340.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDwAnnLAon, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Chicago,'county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gambrels, of which thefollowing is a specification, and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to an improved form of gambrel adapted to be usedin packing for extending the limbs of an ani mal carcass, particularlypork, and for supporting the carcass while being dressed and during itstransportation from place to place.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved gambrel stickwhich may be engaged with the limbs of a carcass by automatic means.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a form ofgalnbrel stick provided by the invention, and shows details of amechanism which may be employed for automatically releasing the carcassheld therein; Fig. 2 is a detail plan View showing one end of thegrambrel; and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2, some of the part-s being shown in elevation.

As shown in the drawings, the gambrel comprises a central shaft 10preferably made of metal and in the form of a tube to reduce its weight.In practice a piece of pipe may be conveniently employed for the shaft10. An apertured block, as 11 and 12, is rigidly mounted upon each endof the shaft 10. As shown, the blocks 11 and 12 are made of cast metal,and they are secured upon the ends of the shaft 10 by being castdirectly upon the ends of the pipe which serves for the shaft. Theaperture, as 13, of each of the blocks 11 and 12 is preferably of aproper size to receive the foot and adjacent portion of the limb of thecarcass upon which the gambrel is to be used. As shown, a part of therim ofeach of the apertures is provided with ribs 14 for gripping thelimb of the carcass when pressed against it. A clutch arm 15 is providedadjacent each end of the gambrel for cooperating with the rib portion ofthe rim of the corresponding aperture 13 for gripping the limb of acarcass. Each of the clutch arms 15 is pivotally mounted upon the upperside of the gambrel stick in such a way that one of its ends, as 16, isadapted to swing downwardly into the adjacent aperture 13. Preferablythe end 16 of each of the clutch arms is weighted, as by being made ofgreater width and depth than the other end portion 17 of the arm, and ithas an outwardly facing ribbed surface 18.

As shown a pair of upstanding lugs 19 are formed upon each of the blocks11 and 12 for receiving the corresponding clutch arm 15 between them,and a pivot pin 20 is passed through the lugs 19 and through the clutcharm 15 intermediate its ends. The inner end portion 17 of each of theclutch arms 15 extends over the adjacent portion of the shaft 10 inalinement with the shaft, and an upstanding cam lug 21 is formed uponthe extreme inner end of the part 17.

In using the gambrel the feet of a carcass will be passed upwardlythrough the apertures 13 of the blocks 11 and 12, and when the hoofshave passed the clutch arms 15 the weighted ends 16 of these clutch armswill cause their ribbed surfaces 18 to bear against the adjacentportions of the limbs of the carcass, whereby the limbs will be grippedbetween the inwardly facing ribs 14 formed on the rims of the apertures13 and the outwardly facing ends of the clutch arms. The gambrel maythen be used for supporting the carcass, as by engaging the shaft 10with the conveyer hooks 22 shown in Fig. 1. Vhen the carcass has beentransported to the place where it is to be divided, it may be releasedfrom the gambrel to fall upon a suitable table (not shown) by depressingthe inner end portions 17 of the clutch arms 15. If desired, this may beeffected through the use of stationary trips, as 23, 2 1, havinginclined cam surfaces 25 extending in the path of movement of the camlugs 21 when held in the conveyer hooks 22. By properly inclining theunder surfaces 25 of the trips 23, 2 1, provision may be made forassorting the carcasses according to size, as a heavier carcass will require a greater depression of the inner ends 17 of the clutch arms 15 tobe released from the gambrel than will be required for releasing a lightcarcass.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a gambrel stick aperturedadjacent each end to receive the foot of a carcass, and a clutch armpivotally mounted upon the stick adjacent each of the apertures, one endof each of the clutch arms being movable into the corresponding apertureof the stick.

2. In combination, a gambrel stick apertured adjacent each end toreceive the foot of a carcass, a clutch arm pivotally mounted upon theupper side of the gambrel stick adjacent each end, one end of each ofsaid clutch arms being movable downwardly into the aperture at the sameend of the stick, such ends of the clutch arms being Weighted.

3. In combination, a gambrel stick apertured adjacent each end toreceive the foot Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

of a carcass, conveying means engageable with the stick, a clutch armpivotally mounted upon the stick adjacent each of the apertures, one endof each of the clutch arms being movable into the aperture at the sameend of the stick, and a trlp engageable With the other end of each ofthe clutch arms.

EDWARD LACE.

Witnesses CHARLES B. GILLsoN, E. M. KLAToI-IER.

Washington, I). G.

